Maryland's 1st Congressional District election, 2026 (June 23 Democratic primary)
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| Maryland's 1st Congressional District |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: February 24, 2026 |
| Primary: June 23, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th Maryland elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 |
A Democratic Party primary takes place on June 23, 2026, in Maryland's 1st Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.
| Candidate filing deadline | Primary election | General election |
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A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Maryland law stipulates that political parties can determine for themselves who may participate in their primary elections. As of October 2025, both the Democratic and Republican parties operated a closed primary where only a voter affiliated with the party may vote in a party's primary.[1]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
This page focuses on Maryland's 1st Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Maryland's 1st Congressional District election, 2026 (June 23 Republican primary)
- Maryland's 1st Congressional District election, 2026
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 1
Terrence Rogers, Dan Schwartz, George Walish, and Randi White are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Maryland District 1 on June 23, 2026.
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Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I am a dad, husband, outdoorsman, and lifelong consumer advocate. I've spent my 14 year career working with state and federal regulators to protect consumers from financial misconduct and abuse. I believe government should work for people instead of monetizing people. I know we can cut red-tape and foster economic development but protecting consumers and families is non-negotiable."
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "George is a graduate of Biscayne College, now St. Thomas University, with a B.A. degree in Business; he worked construction in the summer to help pay for his education. He was married to Christine Walish for 33 years, Christine passed away in 2011. The couple had two children; George M. Walish III and Bradford M. Walish. His career included school teacher, coach of basketball and baseball 7th grade; with stints at Xerox corporation and Chrysler corporation. In 1975, George joined BMW of North America, LLC. where he was employed for 30 years and became a Senior Executive. He is the founder of the St. Michaels' Concours d'Elegance, which remains today one of the Top 10 Concours events in North America."
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "I was born and raised in Salisbury on Maryland’s Lower Shore, and I would be the first Democratic nominee from this part of the district. My grandmother raised me to care deeply and be involved in government and voting. She taught me that the rights our elders fought and died for should never be taken for granted. From the time I was eight years old, I was asking tough questions, studying policies, and learning that leadership means seeking solutions, not just pointing out problems. I went on to earn two Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Communications and built a 20-year career in Marketing and Communications. In every role I’ve had, my goal has been simple: to make people’s lives better. Running for Congress is the most direct way I can continue that work for my community. I’m proud to be a daughter of the Shore, a lifelong Orioles and Ravens fan, and someone who believes in bringing laughter, music, and empathy into everything I do."
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Maryland
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrence Rogers | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Dan Schwartz | Democratic Party | $211,604 | $123,803 | $87,801 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| George Walish | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Randi White | Democratic Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
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Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
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District analysis
This section will contain facts and figures related to this district's elections when those are available.
Ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Maryland in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Maryland, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026 | ||||||
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| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| Maryland | U.S. House | Ballot-qualified party | 1% of the eligible voters for the district | 100 | 2/24/2026 | Source |
| Maryland | U.S. House | Unaffiliated | 10,000 | 100 | 7/2/2026 | Source |
See also
- Maryland's 1st Congressional District election, 2026 (June 23 Republican primary)
- Maryland's 1st Congressional District election, 2026
- United States House elections in Maryland, 2026 (June 23 Democratic primaries)
- United States House elections in Maryland, 2026 (June 23 Republican primaries)
- United States House Democratic Party primaries, 2026
- United States House Republican Party primaries, 2026
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2026
- U.S. House battlegrounds, 2026
External links
Footnotes
